


This is: True Love

by Criminalmind1927



Series: Larnold Jernagin and Rusty Ray Barefoot [1]
Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, confession of feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-04
Updated: 2019-12-04
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:42:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21673888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Criminalmind1927/pseuds/Criminalmind1927
Summary: We get a glimpse into the lives of Larnold Jernagin and R.R. Barefoot.
Relationships: Larnold Jernigan/Rusty Ray Barefoot, Rhett McLaughlin/Link Neal
Series: Larnold Jernagin and Rusty Ray Barefoot [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1577863
Comments: 28
Kudos: 44





	This is: True Love

**Author's Note:**

> The prompt was thrown out into the Tumblr universe by @mythicaliz and I hope I did her proud. ❤️❤️

“And… cut! That’s a wrap for you two! Thanks gentlemen, see you next time!” 

Rusty and Larnold gave a quick wave to the friendly crew of GMM, as they exited the stage and walked to the parking lot. They had just finished shooting another installment of their now famous _“This is…_

 _With Rusty and Larnold”_ series. Today it was _“This is: History”._ They rambled on about nothing and everything, much to the crew's delight, and wrapped in just under an hour. 

It wasn’t until they were nearly home that Rusty noticed that Larnold hadn’t spoken to him since they wrapped. To be fair, Larnold was always on the quiet side, especially lately. But today… he was _extra_ quiet. Rusty tried to make conversation in the car, but Larnold gave tight lipped, one worded responses and eventually Rusty stopped trying. 

Larnold was too busy thinking. Larnold Jernigan’s most recent year of life had been more difficult than he ever thought possible. The passing of his wife of nearly 40 years had thrown him into a sea of deep-seated doubts and a barrage of questionable feelings that he felt ill-equipped to handle. He felt trapped in a cycle of working out answers to his mind’s questions and then ending up with even more questions than he started with. It was all made worse by the fact that he felt so utterly alone. Because the one person that he usually took his troubles to happened to be the exact cause of most of his mind-boggling confusion: Rusty Ray Barefoot.

Over the past few weeks, his best friend Rusty had been more playful and unpredictable than in recent years, teasing Larnold and sneaking in less than subtle innuendos whenever he could. He even went so far as to spank him during their recent filming of _“This is: Science”._ But by far the most troublesome behavior displayed was that fact that Rusty kept grabbing his face. He would just...hold it. Practically caress it. Ever the pacifist, Larnold didn’t say anything about it at first, but when he finally built up the nerve to discuss it, Rusty never revealed an actual reason beyond ‘it just felt right’.

Larnold owed a lot to his friend. Frankly, he didn’t know what he would do without him. Rusty came over almost every night after Larnold’s wife passed away a year and a half ago. He made him dinner, helped him trim his beard, helped him find his reading glasses; anything and everything he could to help Larnold work through his grief. And it worked; every day felt better than the last, and now he was even able to smile again. Well, Larnold’s version of a smile, anyway. Larnold supposed that their close proximity was the cause of Rusty’s increased physical freedom and comfort around him. 

That evening, they were in Larnold’s kitchen finishing up their dinner preparations. Larnold buttered their bread in silence and as Rusty stirred their beef stew, he spoke into the pot. 

“Have fun filmin’ today?” Rusty asked. Larnold grunted and shook his head. Rusty looked up from his stirring, “What? What’s wrong?” 

“Shouldn’t’ve said… shouldn't have said what I said today,” he finally admitted.

“‘Bout what?” 

“’Bout… ’bout Mario Lopez.”

Rusty laughed, “Is that all? Shoot, everyone thought that was funny, Larnold. No one took yeh seriously.” 

“Yeah. I know. I just… I shouldn’t’ve said it.” 

“Why’s it bother yeh? I said it too, ‘member?” Rusty wiped the steam off his crooked glasses and continued to stir. 

“But I… I kept sayin’ it…. I just… I don’t know what came over me. People are gonna think… I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” Rusty stopped stirring and turned to Larnold. 

“Hey, nothin’s wrong with yeh, Larnold. Yeh just-“ 

“Stop,” Larnold requested, gripping the plate of buttered bread tight. “I don’t wanna talk no more.”

Rusty swallowed and nodded his head, “Yeah, sure.” Rusty spooned the soup into two bowls. “Let’s eat, ok?” Larnold nodded almost imperceptibly and walked into the dining room, his best friend a few steps behind.

The men ate their meal in a tense silence, only the scraping sound of spoons filled the room. As Rusty finished his dinner, he hazarded a glance up at his best friend. His heart broke as he observed Larnold clearly struggling to keep a lid on his increasingly distressed mental state. 

“Larnold… yeh know it’s not good for yeh to just shut down when you’re feeling something…” He sighed and spoke gently, “I know after Lerlene died-”

“Don’t.” Larnold had stood silently from his chair. His height was immediately intimidating, but betrayed by his weak request. “Please, don’t,” he begged.

Rusty’s sigh was heavy, “I’m sorry, Larnold. I really am. I know how hard this is for yeh. I loved her, too. She was always good to yeh. S’all I ever wanted for you. Wanted you happy.” His voice cracked when he finished with, “Even if it wasn’t with me.” 

Utter misery and sadness flashed in Larnold’s eyes as he sank back into his chair. He tipped his hat back and rubbed his face with both hands. Rusty walked over slowly and wiped the tears from his best friend’s cheeks before gently tilting the bearded face up to meet his gaze. Rusty loved that stoic giant. Desperately. When Larnold hurt, Rusty hurt. When Larnold was angry, Rusty was angry. Rusty would live and die for Larnold, and for over 40 years, he had kept that fact to himself. Until tonight.

“Yeh really do have a sweet face, Larnold.” His eyes filled with tears as he scanned the beautiful face in front of him. His eyes settled on the deep laugh lines caused by decades of chuckling at Rusty’s bad jokes, the wrinkles caused by hours spent out in the southern sun together, the eyes that glistened with an intelligent wit that had never faded with age. “I love this face.” Larnold bit his lip and nodded, his eyes looking everywhere but into Rusty’s. Rusty took a grounding breath and spoke the words that were burning inside of him for as long as he could remember, searing into his soul everyday with the burn of what could’ve been. 

“I love yeh, Larnold. I really do.” Larnold began to cry softly, his face tense with emotion, willing his tears to stay in his eyes, but failing. Rusty hated to see him cry.

“Rusty, I can’t… you know I can’t…” Rusty released his face as Larnold stood yet again. And just when he thought Larnold was about to run away to the safety of his bedroom, he crashed his long limbs into Rusty’s in a desperate hug. Rusty held his best friend tight and let him cry onto his shoulder. He rubbed his back, and gave him comforting pats.

“I know. I know.” Rusty soothed. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Rusty held him closer and buried his face into Larnold’s chest and his voice was muffled as he continued, “I didn’t mean to be selfish or nothin’. I just… I know I’m an old man now, Larnold. I know I got nothing to offer you.” 

Larnold scoffed, “Yer sixty-three Rusty, yer hardly ancient.” 

“Yeh know what I mean.”

Larnold nodded and gripped his best friend even tighter and with a watery whisper he said, “I don’t wanna lose you too, Rusty.” 

“You won’t. I promise.” Rusty’s voice was calm and even. As if it were all truly that simple. “Yeh know it don’t matter if you feel the same way that I do. It’s ok. I’m still fixin’ to take care of yeh. That ain’t gonna stop. No matter what.” Rusty laughed lightly, trying to lighten the mood, “Who else is gonna trim that beard of yers? Or cut yer hair? Yer terrible at it, yeh know.” 

Larnold was feeling so many things. The man in his arms had been there for him for decades upon decades, endlessly supportive and unwavering by his side. Settling for being on the sidelines of Larnold’s life, just to be close to him. He never married, and now it was clear why. Larnold felt so profoundly sad; he was mourning his wife’s passing, of course, but this sorrow belonged to the life that he never had. A life with… the man he truly loved. Larnold pulled away and looked into Rusty’s crystal blue eyes.

Larnold’s voice was rough, “God damn you, Rusty.” Rusty pulled out of his hold as if he were slapped, but Larnold was having none of it as he hauled him back in and crushed him into another embrace. “I’m so in love with you.” Rusty made a choked sound before he joined Larnold in his sobbing. The men held each other and cried and cried. Tears of anger, tears of regret, tears of relief... 

After their moisture levels completely depleted, Larnold released a deep sigh, “I dunno what this means for us, Rusty. I dunno what to do.”

“Me neither. But I’m glad we said it.” 

“Me, too.” They gave each other a gentle squeeze before finally releasing their hold. Their eyes were red with tears, their faces drawn with exhaustion. “Let’s go to bed,” Larnold suggested. 

That night they both slept in Larnold’s bed, hands interlocked. It was the best sleep either man had experienced in a decade. 

——-

Three weeks later, they were eating their daily breakfast of cereal and toast together, while the television played some morning show program at low volume in the next room.

“Uh oh,” Rusty smiled. 

“What?” Larnold looked up and couldn’t help when his lips upturned into a matching smirk. 

“Yer boyfriend’s on tv,” Rusty sing-songed. Larnold turned in his chair to see the screen. Of course: Mario Lopez. 

“S’not my boyfriend...” Larnold replied before going back to his cereal.

“I know dummy, I was just-”

“... _You_ are,” Larnold stated, not looking up from his cereal. Rusty stilled in surprise. 

“I’m… I’m what?” 

“Yeh heard me.” Rusty felt 18 again as he hid his wide smile and dried the dampness from the corners of his eyes.

“You sure about that, Jernigan? I mean, I’m no Mario Lopez… ”

“No, no, yer not.” Larnold’s eyes twinkled. “Yer better.” Rusty blushed as a sweet silence settled between them. A few moments passed and Larnold caught his eye again. “Come ‘ere,” Larnold softly requested. Rusty stood and walked the few steps to his best frie-... to his boyfriend.

“What?” he chuckled. Larnold wrapped his arms around Rusty’s hips and delicately guided him onto his lap. 

“Come ‘ere,” he asked again, leaning his face upward towards Rusty’s. Rusty dipped down for a kiss. Their lips met, and both men giggled. 

“Yer beard tickles,” Rusty observed.

“So does yers.” They collapsed into a giggling fit. Rusty rested his head on top of Larnold’s, still comfortably seated in his lap. 

He shook his head in mirth, “We’re too old for this.” 

“Yer never too old for love, Rusty.” Rusty’s face melted into a soft and peaceful smile. He leaned down and their lips met again. Neither man laughed this time.

————

Another month passed, and the men toasted another successful filming of _“This is”._ They were also cheersing to each other. To themselves. To their bravery. Today, they held hands as they walked into the studio, heads held high. Ready for any consequence or ramification of their new union. While no one commented on it outright, every single crew member smiled and cooed at the apparent development.

They left on cloud nine, hearing whispered approval and wishes for their happiness. The two men now stood in their kitchen, smiling wide as Larnold filled up two crystal glasses with whiskey. They clinked their glasses together and both took a big gulp of the amber liquid. They stood in the kitchen and recounted the events of the day, both men positively captivated by the other when they spoke. After a few minutes, Larnold was already rushing to fill up Rusty’s still half-full glass. 

Rusty laughed, “Whoa there. You’re trying to get me drunk, Jernagin?” 

Larnold gave his most innocent look, “Dunno what yer talkin ‘bout, Barefoot.” 

“Don’t gimme those beautiful puppy dog eyes, I’m onto yer game. You wanna get me drunk so I fall under yer romantic spell, ain’t ya?” Rusty leaned his already tipsy body into Larnold and gave him a playful nudge. Larnold held him steady, before moving his body flush to Rusty’s. The smaller man gasped. 

“S’it workin’?” he asked with a rasp as he fiddled with one of Rusty’s overall straps. 

“Yeah,” Rusty responded breathlessly. Larnold unsnapped the snap and Rusty’s whole body shivered. Larnold leaned forward and placed the sweetest of kisses on Rusty’s lips. “I think… I wanna… if you wanna….” 

Rusty nodded, “I wanna…” 

“Good.” Another kiss. He grabbed their glasses and set them on the counter. “Come on, I’m fixin’ to kiss that stupid smile right off your face,” Larnold teased and rubbed Rusty’s parted lips with his calloused fingertips. Rusty linked their rough hands together and nodded, following his friend into the hallway and back to their bedroom, a light dancing in his eyes. A light of love and passion that had burned brightly for over 40 years and would never be extinguished until his last breath.

**Author's Note:**

> I thought it was sweet to leave the story this way, but if ya’ll want a smutty chapter two, let me know! ❤️
> 
> Tumblr is @criminalmind1927


End file.
